Accepting Dangerous Goods
Recent events are demonstrating an overemphasis on rigorously detailed checks for compliance, without considering the context for those checks. Compliance with safety regulations is crucial; however, safety becomes compromised when employees are not genuinely assessing and mitigating safety risks.
The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and checklists refer to the DGD being in the IATA format. There is a perception that the DGD must be completely identical to those shown in the DGRs. It is important to note that minor discrepancies are not considered as errors if they do not compromise safety and should not be considered a reason for rejecting a consignment. Where staff are unsure on whether the discrepancy should be cause the shipment to be rejected, it would be prudent to have a colleague or manager review the decision, The guidance document outlines some examples of recent minor discrepancies being identified in the Shipper’s Declaration.
The process of accepting of dangerous goods is an important function which contributes to aviation safety. The rejection of shipments for trivial reasons may have adverse consequences for business, commerce and safety.